Suk Suk

Suk Suk (Chinese: 叔．叔) (the title means "Uncle" in Cantonese)^[2] is a 2019 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Ray Yeung. It presents the story of two secretly homosexual married men in their twilight years. The film was selected to compete in the Panorama section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

Suk Suk
Theatrical release poster
Chinese	叔．叔
Directed by	Ray Yeung
Written by	Ray Yeung
Produced by	Michael J. Werner Teresa Kwong Sandy Yip Chowee Leow Stan Guingon
Starring	Tai Bo Ben Yuen Patra Au
Cinematography	Leung Ming Kai
Edited by	William Chang Nose Chan
Music by	Veronica Lee
Production company	New Voice Film Productions
Release dates	October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04) (BIFF)[1] February 27, 2020 (2020-02-27) (Taiwan) May 28, 2020 (2020-05-28) (Hong Kong)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese

Plot

Pak, a 70-year-old taxi driver who refuses to retire, meets Hoi, a retired 65-year-old single father at a park. Despite the families that they had built, the encounter sparks a desire that they had both suppressed and leads to a contemplation of a life together.

Cast

• Tai Bo (張嘉年) as Pak
• Ben Yuen as Hoi
• Patra Au as Ching
• Siuyea Lo as Wan
• To Kong as Chiu
• Lam Yiu Sing as Edmond
• Wong Hiu-Yee as Fong
• Hu Yixin as Zheng
• Kwan Lau-Ting as Joyce
• Chu Wai-Keung as Dior

Release

• Suk Suk had its world premiere at the 24th Busan International Film Festival on 4 October 2019.^[4]
• Suk Suk was released in Taiwan by Cai Chang International in February 2020^[5]
• Suk Suk was released in Hong Kong by Golden Scene Company Ltd. in May 2020^[6]
• Suk Suk was released in Thailand by M Pictures / Never So Small in July 2020 ^[7]
• The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (HKETO, Brussels) and Create Hong Kong have jointly supported the participation of three Hong Kong films at the CinemAsia Film Festival 2020 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, being held from March 4 to 8 (Amsterdam time).^[8] One of the three Hong Kong films is Suk Suk.
• Suk Suk was released in North America by Strand Releasing in February 2021.^[9]
• Suk Suk was released in France by Epicentre Filmes in June 2021.^[10]
• Suk Suk was released in Spain by Vitrine Filmes in July 2021^[11]
• Suk Suk was released in Brazil by Vitrine Filmes in September 2021 ^[12]

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Twilight's Kiss" for USA and Canada by North American distributor Strand Releasing.

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Un Printemps a Hong Kong" for France by French distributor Epicentre Films.^[13]

The original title "Suk Suk" was changed to "Suk Suk - Um Amor em Segredo" for Brazil by Brazilian distributor Vitrine Filmes^[12]

The film was showcased in 'LGBTQ+ Visions & Horizon: Queer Unbound at NYAFF' at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on July 14, 2024.^[14]

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 100% approval rating based on 20 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10.^[15] According to Metacritic, which sampled six critics and calculated a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews".^[16]

Elizabeth Kerr from The Hollywood Reporter describes Suk Suk as Ray Yeung's "most accomplished, mature film to date, and Yeung demonstrates a keen eye for the social dynamics that impact us and how we respond to them, and finds space to bask in the simple pleasures, basic generosity and the safety net that is family while simultaneously dealing with homophobia, ageism and faith."^[17] Wendy Ide from Screen Daily described Suk Suk as "a gentle, understated storytelling with subtly observant camerawork to match".^[18] Zhuo-Ning Su from The Film Stage writes, "In lucid, carefully non-judgmental strokes, Yeung recreates the easy familiarity of (hetero-normative) family life that both men have gotten used to."^[19] Sight & Sound indicates, "Suk Suk is a loving, considerate tale of queer love in later life. Elaborating an affair between two elderly men in present-day Hong Kong, Ray Yeung proves himself as an astute observer of human affection and social obligation in his third feature film."^[20] Alissa Simon from Variety describes, "Strong performances by veterans Tai Bo and Ben Yuen make the protagonists’ struggle concrete and affecting."^[21]

Awards and nominations

Award	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
70th Berlin International Film Festival	Best Feature Film	Ray Yeung	Nominated	[22]
56th Golden Horse Awards	Best Feature Film	Suk Suk	Nominated	[23]
	Best Original Screenplay	Ray Yeung	Nominated	[23]
	Best Leading Actor	Ben Yuen	Nominated	[24]
	Best Leading Actor	Tai Bo	Nominated	[24]
	Best Supporting Actress	Patra Au	Nominated	[24]
Hong Kong Directors Guild Awards	Best Actor	Tai Bo	Won	[25]
Hong Kong Screenwriters’ Guild Awards	Best Screenplay	Ray Yeung	Won	[26]
	Best Role in a Screenplay	Tai Bo	Won	[26]
	Best Role in a Screenplay	Patra Au	Nominated
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards	Best Film	Suk Suk	Won	[27]
	Best Actor	Tai Bo	Won	[28]
	Best Screenplay	Ray Yeung	Nominated	[29]
	Best Director	Ray Yeung	Nominated	[30]
	Best Actor	Ben Yuen	Nominated	[31]
39th Hong Kong Film Awards	Best Actor	Tai Bo	Won	[32]
	Best Supporting Actress	Patra Au	Won	[33]
	Best Picture	Suk Suk	Nominated	[34]
	Best Director	Ray Yeung	Nominated	[34]
	Best Screenplay	Ray Yeung	Nominated	[34]
	Best Supporting Actor	Lo Chun Yip	Nominated	[34]
	Best New Performer	Patra Au	Nominated	[34]
	Best Film Editing	William Chang & Nose Chui Hing Chan	Nominated	[34]
	Best Costume & Make Up Design	Albert Poon	Nominated	[34]
Renaissance Awards	Best Drama	Suk Suk	Won	[35]
Kongest Film Awards	Best Film	Suk Suk	Won
	Best Actor	Ben Yuen	Nominated
Wicked Queer Boston LGBT Film Festival	Jury Award: Best Narrative Feature	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[36]
To Ten Chinese Films Festival	Youth Film Handbook: Outstanding Film	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[37]
	Youth Film Handbook: Best Actor	Ben Yuen	Won	[38]
Out on Film: Atlanta's LGBT Film Festival	Jury Award: Best International Film	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[39]
	Jury Award: Best Actor	Tai Bo	Won	[40]
	Audience Award: Best International Film	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[41]
Florence Queer Festival	Best Long Feature Film	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[42]
Festival International du Film Independent de Bordeaux	Special Mention: Best Feature Film	Twilight's Kiss	Won
GAZE Film Festival Dublin	Audience Award: Best Feature	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[42]
Seoul International Pride Film Festival	Best Asian Feature	Twilight's Kiss	Won
Madrid LGBTQ International Film Festival	Best Actor	Tai Bo	Won	[42]
	Best Actor	Ben Yuen	Won	[42]
Amiens International Film Festival	Special Mention: Best Actor	Tai Bo	Won	[42]
	Special Mention: Best Actor	Ben Yeun	Won	[42]
Asian Film Awards	Best Actor	Tai Bo	Nominated	[42]
	Best Supporting Actor	Ben Yuen	Nominated	[42]
	Best Supporting Actress	Patra Au	Nominated	[42]
Asian American International Film Festival	Audience Choice Award: Best Narrative Film	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[42]
Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival	Honorable Mention: Best Feature	Twilight's Kiss	Won	[42]
Zinegoak Festival, Bilbao Spain	Special Mention: Best Feature Film	Suk Suk	Won	[43]
La Mostra Internacional de Cinema de Gai i Lesbià FIRE!!	Audience Award: Best Feature	Suk Suk	Won	[44]
LGBT Film Fest of the Niemeyer Center, Spain	Jury Award: Best Feature Film	Suk Suk	Won	[45]
Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT	Jury Award: Best Film	Suk Suk	Won	[46]
Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT	Jury Award: Best Screenplay	Suk Suk	Won	[46]
Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT	Jury Award: Best Performance	Tai Bo	Won	[46]
Queerties Awards 2022	Best Indie Movie	Twilight's Kiss	Nominated	[47]
GLAAD Media Awards 2022	Outstanding Feature - Limited Release	Twilight's Kiss	Nominated	[48]

Soundtrack

Name	Performed by	Original Singer	Written by	Composed by
Gentle breeze and drizzle	Qing Shan	Liu lanxi	Lin gongxin	Lin gongxin

References

1. "Suk Suk". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
2. "English translation of 叔 ( suk / suk1 ) - uncle in Cantonese". cantonese.dictionary.li. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
3. "Berlinale Archive - Suk Suk". Berlinale. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
4. "Busan International Film Festival". Busan International Film Festival. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
5. "'Suk Suk' set for February release in Taiwan". Taiwan News. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
6. "Golden Scene". www.goldenscene.com. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
7. "หนังผมไม่เล็กนะครับ". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
8. "HKETO, Brussels promotes Hong Kong films at CinemAsia Film Festival in the Netherlands (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
9. "Twilight's Kiss (Suk Suk)". Strand Releasing. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
10. "Epicentre Films Un Printemps à Hong Kong". www.epicentrefilms.com. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
11. "Suk Suk – Vitrine Filmes". Retrieved 7 October 2021.
12. "SUK SUK – Um Amor Em Segredo – Vitrine Filmes" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 7 October 2021.
13. ":::::Epicentre Films:::::". www.epicentrefilms.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
14. "23rd New York Asian Film Festival: Schedule & Tickets". NYAFF. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
15. "Twilight's Kiss (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
16. "Twilight's Kiss Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
17. "'Suk Suk': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
18. Ide, Wendy. "'Suk Suk'". Screen. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
19. "'Suk Suk' Beautifully Captures a Late-Blossoming Queer Romance". The Film Stage. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
20. "Nine discoveries from the 2020 Berlinale | Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
21. Simon, Alissa (6 March 2020). "'Suk Suk': Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
22. "TEDDY AWARD 2020 Programme Magazine". Issuu. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
23. "【金馬獎2019】袁富華升呢挑戰影帝 僅兩部港產片入圍". 香港01 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
24. "台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival". www.goldenhorse.org.tw (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 6 November 2019.
25. "Tai Bo wins Best Actor award from the HK Film Directors' Guild". sg.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
26. "Ray Yeung honoured with two awards by HK Screenwriters Guild". sg.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
27. "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
28. "Gay drama Suk Suk named 2019's best Hong Kong film by critics". South China Morning Post. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
29. "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
30. "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
31. "Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
32. "Better Days sweeps 2020 Hong Kong Film Awards with eight wins". South China Morning Post. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
33. "Better Days sweeps 2020 Hong Kong Film Awards with eight wins". South China Morning Post. 6 May 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
34. "Better Days, Fagara lead Hong Kong Film Awards nominations". South China Morning Post. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
35. "Renaissance Foundation - Awards 2020". rfhk.org.hk. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
36. "Wicked Queer: The Boston LGBT Film Festival". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
37. "To Ten Chinese Films Festival (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
38. "To Ten Chinese Films Festival (2020)". IMDb. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
39. "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
40. "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
41. "Out On Film Announces 2020 Jury and Audience Awards". Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
42. Twilight's Kiss (2019) - IMDb, retrieved 31 January 2022
43. "zinegoak | historico". Retrieved 31 January 2022.
44. "I els guanyadors del FIRE!! 2021 són..." Mostra FIRE!! (in Catalan). 21 June 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
45. "'Suk Suk' wins the Best Feature Film Award at the LGTBI Film Festival". Memesita. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
46. Ganadores del Santo Domingo OutFest 2021,... - Santo Domingo OutFest - Festival Internacional de Cine GLBT, retrieved 31 January 2022
47. "Indie Movie / The QUEERTIES 2022 / Vote Now". Queerty. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
48. "GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 33rd Annual GLADD Media Awards" (Press release). GLAAD. 19 January 2022.

External links

• Suk Suk at IMDb
• Production website: New Voice Film Productions